Australia’s responses to regional issues and crises reveal how its foreign policy choices create cooperation with some states while generating conflict or tension with others. This KK requires you to select one issue or crisis and trace Australia’s response and its bilateral impact.
For any issue or crisis:
1. Identify Australia’s response: What action(s) did Australia take? (Diplomatic statement, military deployment, aid, trade restriction, intelligence sharing?)
2. Link to national interest: Which interest drove the response?
3. Assess bilateral impact: Did the response strengthen cooperation or create conflict with a selected state?
4. Evaluate: Was the response effective? What were the trade-offs?
The Issue:
China’s construction of artificial islands, militarisation of features, and enforcement of its nine-dash line claim has challenged UNCLOS-based maritime rules since 2013. This is an ongoing regional issue directly affecting freedom of navigation.
Australia’s Response:
- Consistent rhetorical support for UNCLOS and freedom of navigation
- Supported the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling that rejected China’s SCS claims; called on all parties to comply
- Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs): Australia has not conducted formal US-style FONOPs inside 12nm of Chinese-claimed features but has transited the SCS and conducted surveillance flights
- Joined joint statements with the US, UK, Japan, and ASEAN members criticising Chinese coercive behaviour in the SCS
- AUKUS capability — nuclear-powered submarines are partly intended to project presence in contested maritime environments including the SCS
Contribution to Cooperation:
- Strengthened cooperation with the United States and Japan: joint statements, intelligence sharing, interoperability exercises (Talisman Sabre)
- Strengthened cooperation with Vietnam and Philippines: common interest in upholding UNCLOS; Australia has provided patrol vessels under the Pacific Maritime Security Programme that operate in Southeast Asian waters
- Deeper QUAD engagement: maritime domain awareness is a key QUAD deliverable
Contribution to Conflict:
- Deepened conflict with China: China views Australian SCS statements as interference in its sovereign affairs and evidence of US proxy behaviour
- China’s 2020 trade restrictions were partly attributed to Australian statements on SCS, Hong Kong, and foreign interference legislation
- China characterised Australian AUKUS submarines as a “Cold War mentality” and escalatory
The Issue:
The 2017 Rohingya crisis — military-led violence against the Rohingya minority in Myanmar, displacing over 700,000 to Bangladesh — was a major humanitarian crisis in Australia’s region.
Australia’s Response:
- Australia provided ~\$300 million AUD in humanitarian aid to Bangladesh and Myanmar for Rohingya relief (2017–2022)
- Australia joined international condemnation of Myanmar’s military (Tatmadaw) at the UNHRC
- Supported Gambia v. Myanmar (ICJ proceedings, International Court of Justice, 2019)
- Did not impose military sanctions equivalent to those of the US and EU; limited individual targeted sanctions
Contribution to Cooperation:
- Strengthened cooperation with Bangladesh (aid relationship); UN agencies (UNHCR, WFP)
- Aligned with Western coalition (US, EU, UK) in condemnation — reinforced Five Eyes diplomatic solidarity
Contribution to Conflict:
- Created tensions with Myanmar: Australia’s aid and political condemnation were unwelcome; however, Myanmar was not a primary strategic partner, limiting the cost
- Some ASEAN members (Thailand, Cambodia) were uncomfortable with Western-led condemnation; Australia had to manage ASEAN sensitivities about non-interference norms
The Issue:
China and Solomon Islands signed a security framework in April 2022 allowing Chinese police and potentially naval access to Solomon Islands — the first such agreement in the Pacific.
Australia’s Response:
- Immediate diplomatic visit by Foreign Minister Penny Wong to Honiara
- Enhanced development assistance; police advisory mission
- PM Albanese made the Pacific the first overseas destination post-election
- Appointed Australia’s first-ever Ambassador to the Pacific
- Launched the Tuvalu Falepili Union (2023) as a model for enhanced partnerships
Contribution to Cooperation:
- Strengthened cooperation with Tuvalu, Fiji, and other Pacific states that were also concerned about Chinese security presence
- Strengthened cooperation with United States and New Zealand: coordinated Pacific engagement; joint statements; US opened new Pacific embassies
Contribution to Conflict:
- Created temporary tension with Solomon Islands: PM Sogavare publicly accused Australia of hypocrisy (AUKUS); Australia’s perceived interference in Solomon Islands’ sovereign foreign policy decisions generated backlash
- Illustrated structural tension: Australia cannot simultaneously respect Pacific sovereignty and prevent Chinese security agreements — these goals conflict
| Response | Cooperation Gained | Conflict Generated | Net Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCS statements + AUKUS | Deeper alliance with US, Japan | China trade restrictions | Strategically justified but economically costly |
| Rohingya aid | UN, Western alignment | ASEAN non-interference sensitivities | Largely successful; costs modest |
| Solomon Islands response | Pacific states, US, NZ | SI sovereignty tensions | Partially effective; structural problem persists |
Every Australian response to a regional issue:
- Signals something to all regional actors, not just the directly involved ones
- Involves trade-offs between different relationships
- Reflects a hierarchy of interests (security over economic; Western alignment over regional non-alignment)
KEY TAKEAWAY: Australia’s responses to regional crises inevitably create both cooperation and conflict — the question is with whom and whether the trade-offs serve Australia’s overall national interests. A response that strengthens the US alliance at the cost of the China trade relationship may be strategically justified but requires honest acknowledgement of the cost.
EXAM TIP: VCAA requires you to use a specific issue or crisis and a selected state — name the state explicitly and explain how Australia’s response affected the bilateral relationship in terms of cooperation and conflict (not just one). The “and/or” in the study design suggests both dimensions are expected in top-band responses.
VCAA FOCUS: The China relationship and the Pacific are the most examinable contexts. For China: the COVID inquiry, trade dispute, and AUKUS announcement are the three most cited examples. For the Pacific: Solomon Islands security agreement and Australia’s subsequent Pacific Step-Up response are the most significant.
